What Is The Best Quoting Software For Manufacturers?

According to the countless salespeople I’ve spoken with over the years, the best quoting software is the one that gets an accurate, personalized quote the to the prospect before the competition.

Similarly, at FPX, the manufacturing companies we work with almost always come to us emphasizing the importance of improving their quoting processes to win more deals. Unfortunately, many of these companies are talking to us because they too often are NOT the first to deliver that winning proposal.

Although manufacturers and other companies have numerous options when it comes to quoting software, the truth is that some solutions are better than others when it comes to delivering on the core capabilities of Configure Price and Quoting (CPQ) for manufacturing.

Three features of a winning quoting solution

When manufacturers need to update their quoting tools and processes, they often look to CPQ solutions to replace the manual approval processes and clunky Excel spreadsheets that slow down their deals.

The following are three features to look for when selecting the best quoting software for your business:

Ultimate configurability and management: Manufacturers selling highly complex products and services often struggle to sell complete configurable solutions with accurate pricing and deliverability - there are just too many variables to manage via a bunch of spreadsheets! But with the right CPQ solution built for manufacturing, all the product, pricing and customer data can be stored, managed and distributed via a single source of truth across the organization so your sellers can quote with confidence knowing the solution is configured to spec and priced accurately.

Quoting across channels: Some manufacturers we work with focus on selling directly to customers via their customer sales and service representatives. Others deliver their products through vast networks of vendors, dealers and resellers. And still others operate through a combination of direct and indirect channels while also selling directly to self-service customers through eCommerce. As digital engagements become the norm in the B2B space, manufacturers must provide their buyers with a viable eCommerce platform to discover, research, purchase, reorder and co-create solutions. CPQ built to support eCommerce provides the power to sell these complex configurable solutions where a stand-alone commerce solution will likely fail.

Future-proof the business with a flexible solution: When updating sales and quoting tools, manufacturing companies need to quickly and intelligently navigate their digital transformation initiatives to see ROI as quickly as possible. By selecting CPQ solutions that are pre-integrated to leading CRM, ERP and eCommerce platforms, manufacturers are able to extend the capabilities and value of their existing tech investments, see ROI faster with a quicker implementation, and ultimately, future-proof the business as technologies come and go over time.

Quote faster and close more deals with CPQ

If you think your business could be closing more business by improving your quoting process, look into CPQ. At FPX, we have years of experience helping manufacturers sell more by quoting and closing faster with our CPQ solution designed for the manufacturing industry.

Contact us to speak with one of our experts. We can listen as you discuss the challenges facing your business and guide you toward a solution that meets your requirements. To get started, check out our ebook linked below.